Zhou Jin said no more.
Jiang You returned to her dorm. Too much had happened today; she needed to rest and decompress.
As for Yang Qi, the moment he got home, he was met with a tirade from his father. "You’ve really grown some wings, haven’t you! Daring to get into a group brawl! Other sensible kids are already helping their fathers out, but you’re a grown man still making me clean up your messes..."
Yang Qi tuned him out and, not wanting to listen anymore, simply knelt.
"Chasing that girl around all day, completely useless. You’re a total disgrace to me..."
A tall, middle-aged man came over with a family rod as thick as his arm and brought it down squarely on Yang Qi’s back.
Yang Qi’s body slammed onto the floor.
He grimaced, but didn’t utter a single cry of pain.
After being beaten with the rod, he was dragged by the family servants and locked in the pitch-black basement.
In simpler terms, it was a confinement cell. A reflection room.
All his communication devices had been taken away.
The basement was pitch-black; he couldn’t see a thing.
His family’s rules were just that twisted.
Yang Qi had known this since he was a child. He’d always been rebellious. He would get punished, and then he’d just make the same mistake again—the unrepentant type.
Yang Qi cursed through gritted teeth, "That old bastard hits damn hard."
A wave of intense pain wracked his body, and he could only let out hoarse, pained gasps.
He never asked his so-called father for help cleaning up his messes, but today had been an exception.
Yang Qi resented his father.
Because his younger brother had died as a result of their family’s "discipline."
Yang Qi resented him, and he resented the family rules they had created.
The more they wanted him to be mature, the more immature he acted.
Yang Qi’s breathing grew heavier.
’Initially, I hadn’t chased Jiang You because I actually liked her. It was just to make myself look like a carefree degenerate, to seem utterly useless, all so that man would give up on me.’
’But now... I think I’m actually starting to like her.’
「The weekend.」
Yang Qi’s birthday had arrived.
He was finally out of the "little black room," but the various wounds on his body hadn’t vanished.
After he got out, the family doctor came over to bandage his wounds.
Yang Qi sat on the sofa, letting the family doctor tend to his wounds. His face was still bruised.
"Young Master, your terminal," a servant said, handing over Yang Qi’s belongings.
A glint appeared in Yang Qi’s red eyes. He thought of the soft warmth of her palm that day and snatched the terminal, seemingly anxious to check his messages.
He turned on the terminal and looked at the pinned chat.
But there wasn’t a single new message in the pinned conversation.
He froze. His excited movements slowed. ’I’m really getting ahead of myself,’ he thought.
’I’m just a simp. Why would she ever message me first to see how I’m doing?’
A humorless smile touched Yang Qi’s lips, a mix of self-deprecation and a hint of sadness.
His long, scraped knuckles gripped the terminal a little tighter.
He sent a message to Jiang You anyway.
Yang Qi: Sister You, it’s my birthday today. I’ve already booked a private room for tonight, don’t forget to come.
Yang Qi: [Address].
Yang Qi: Sister You, should I pick you up tonight?
A long while passed, and she still hadn’t replied.
Yang Qi was used to it. He was just a simp who could do nothing but wait for her reply.
Every year on his birthday, he would confess his feelings to her.
’This year will be no exception. I’ll confess to her, and, as usual, I’ll be rejected.’
’Getting rejected in previous years never felt this bad. Why am I already feeling miserable this year before I’ve even confessed?’
"Shit," Yang Qi cursed under his breath.
Jiang You finally finished grinding through the task Li Yu had given her.
She finally looked over at her terminal, which she had set aside, and saw the messages from Yang Qi.
Jiang You replied, "Okay, come pick me up tonight."
Yang Qi: Okay!
That evening, Yang Qi, the birthday boy, drove a cool red sports car to pick up Jiang You and the others.
That’s right, Jiang You’s three followers also went along.
「The school gate.」
Jiang You and her three followers came out and saw Yang Qi waiting at the gate.
Yang Qi was wearing a red and black jacket over a black shirt, with matching loose, red-and-black pants. As usual, several thick gold chains hung around his neck.
With his wild red hair, he was leaning against the sports car, eyes lowered to his terminal.
As if sensing something, he looked up and saw Jiang You and her friends.
"Sister You!" Yang Qi’s red eyes instantly lit up, and he waved happily.
The bruises on his face hadn’t faded, but it wasn’t as swollen as before.
His face had been swollen to an unsightly degree right after the beating, but now the bruising just gave him a rugged, battle-worn charm.
Jiang You walked over and tossed a box to him. "Happy birthday."
Yang Qi’s eyes lit up, and he lunged to catch the box. "Thanks, Sister You!"
’Another watch. Black and gold this time. A few tens of millions.’
’Great. There goes another small chunk of the family fortune.’
"Sister You, can I open it now?" Yang Qi asked with a grin as he fawningly opened the car door for Jiang You.
"Suit yourself," Jiang You said nonchalantly.
Yang Qi tore open the gift box in a flash and saw the watch inside.
’A watch. Every year, it’s a watch.’
’But the style is different. She still put some thought into it.’
Yang Qi consoled himself with that thought. He quickly put on the new watch as if he’d just received his most treasured possession. He lifted his lean wrist, gave it a shake, and grinned at Jiang You. "Sister You, I love it!"
"Mmm, as long as you like it," Jiang You replied casually.
Yang Qi smiled, lingering by the car door to watch her for a moment.
Jiang You turned to look at him and caught him just staring at her with a goofy grin. The corner of her mouth twitched. "Are we going or not?"
Yang Qi snapped out of it and quickly replied, "Right!"
He closed the door for Jiang You before getting into the driver’s seat.
Yu Lin and the others opened their own doors and sat in the back seats.
The three of them squeezed in together.
Yang Qi drove them to their destination.
「Inside the private room.」
Yang Qi had invited his usual gang of troublemaking friends, who had also brought their girlfriends, making the large private room incredibly lively.
He led Jiang You to a seat and immediately started waiting on her, serving her fruit and pouring her soda.
It made it seem like Jiang You was the one whose birthday it was.
Yang Qi’s cronies were busy playing cards or singing karaoke.
Anyone who sang off-key got a boot from Yang Qi, who would then make someone else take the mic.
Yang Qi looked at Jiang You. "Sister You, do you want to sing?"
Jiang You refused.
Yang Qi knew she wouldn’t sing; he was just asking to be polite.
He came to Jiang You’s side again. "Sister You, what game do you want to play? Cards or dice?"
"Not playing," Jiang You said coolly, eating a piece of fruit.
Jiang You’s cold attitude did nothing to dampen Yang Qi’s enthusiasm. He just smiled and said, "Alright, let’s cut the cake then."
"Okay," Jiang You nodded.
"Bring in the cake," Yang Qi immediately ordered.
A moment later, a cake half the height of a person was wheeled in.
There was no way everyone in the room could finish it.
But finishing it wasn’t the point. It was all about the spectacle.